()bE HUNdan aiI Ann Arbor, Michigan Thursday, October 9, 2014 michigandaily.com STUDENT LIFE Navigating narratives: () 'U'resen-ce in Detroit RUBY WA Members of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality stage a simulation of a West Bank checkpoint on the Diag Wednesday as part of Palestinian Awan Week. Student's recreate West Bank's 'checkpoint' SAFE demonstration seeks to highlight current situation in Gaza By WILL GREENBERG DailyNews Editor After a summer of conflict in Gaza, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality offered University students a close-up perspective on the situation in the West Bank Wednesday. As part of a Palestinian Awareness Week, SAFE's Edu- cation Day featured a staged simulation of a West Bank check- point in the Diag. Some members dressed as Israeli soldiers while others tried to "pass through" their inspection. Two handmade walls painted with "#UMDivest" and maps showing the growth of Israeli settlements over the years served to represent the real wall that runs through the West Bank. The group's aim was to simulate the experience of Pales- tinians whose families have been separated by the wall by creating a similar disturbance for stu- dents passing through the Diag between classes. SAFE's demonstration Wednesday mimicked the daily commute of Palestinians from the West Bank into Israel. The West Bank is a highly contested area due to Israeli settlements, which Palestinians decry as an occupation of land that is right- fully theirs. Between the Israeli and Palestinian sections of the West Bank are Israeli check- policy points, similar to a border patrol between two neighboring coun- tries. These checkpoints have been repeatedly criticized for using racial profiling and unfair treatment of Palestinians when Israeli soldiers conduct searches to prevent transfers of weapons. The student simulation ran at peak periods between classes throughout the day and SAFE members handed out flyers and other information between dem- onstrations. SAFE denounces the wall, with members referring to . See SAFE, Page 3A Daily survey shows students wary of city despite campus outreach efforts ByIAN DILLINGHAM Daily News Editor "If I was a venture capital- ist with lots of spare change, I'd make an investment in Detroit." At a July 18 press conference during his first week as Universi- ty president, Mark Schlissel reaf- firmed the University's ties with Detroit, saying he was impressed by the work of both students and faculty in the city. Having spent two days in the city prior to com- ing to Ann Arbor, he remained cautiously optimistic about its future. "I don't think it's going to become one of the small handfuls ofmajorcitiesintheUnitedStates which it was at the height of the growth of the auto industry, but I see lots.of seeds of redevelop- ment and energy in the Detroit economy that I predict five years from now, Detroit's going to be a vigorous city," Schlissel said. In the coming weeks, Detroit will likely reach a key point in its 15-month bankruptcysaga. Pend- ing a decision by Judge Steven Rhodes - who will hold a hearing about a potential deal between the city and it's last major credi- tor, Financial Guaranty Insur- ance Co. - the city has a chance to emerge from Chapter 9 bank- ruptcy by the end of year. But despite what many are lauding as a successful turn- around, a recent Michigan Daily survey suggests students might not be so confident about the city's future. In an e-mail survey of 230 ran- domly selected undergraduates, only 22 percent of respondents indicated they would consider living in the city after graduation if presented with an employment or educational opportunity, com- pared to 55 percent or more in similar metropolitan areas, such as NewYork City, Chicago, Wash- ington, D.C. and San Francisco. See DETROIT, Page 3A FOREIGN POLICY U.S. practices in Iraq questioned by researchers Lecture discusses increased birth defects as result of munitions usage By AMABEL KAROUB Two experts in the field of Iraqi public health gave a lecture Wednesday night on the increase of birth defects in the war-torn nation. Muhsin Al-Sabbak, a physi- cian at Iraq's Basra Maternity Hospital, and Mozhgan Sava- bieasfahani, an environmental toxicologist who resides in Ann Arbor, presented a one-hour lec- ture centered on their research, which links the increase in con- genital birth defects in Iraq over the last two decades to the use of U.S. and coalitions force weapons there. Al-Sabbak referenced his study that found a 17-fold increase in children with birth defects between the years1995and 2003, a jump from 1.37 birth defects per 1,000 children to 23 per 1,000. By 2008, the number had increased to 48 per 1000, and in 2014 it was 37 per 1000. Savabieasfahani attributed the spike to an increase in pollutants caused by U.S. weapons and the presence of military bases. "The most important event that happened in these years was U.S. invasion and U.S. bombard- ments," Savabieasfahani said. "As much as we don't like to get into politics, pollution is a very politi- cal thing." Savabieasfahani said bombs, bullets and explosives increase the amount of toxic metal such as lead and mercury in the envi- ronment. She also said U.S. mili- tary bases often have "open air burn pits," or pits in which they burn disregarded military waste, releasing dangerous pollutants into the atmosphere that are inhaledbyindividuals inthe area. "They were summoned to get rid of military waste on U.S. mili- See IRAQ, Page 3A" Campus leaders judged various foods from local restaurants as part of the True Blue Sandwich and Drink Contest on the Diag Wednesday. 'U' and local restaurants encourage healthy habits POLITICS Obama to campaign for Peters in Mich. Despite low approval numbers, President slated to make event appearance By BEN ATLAS Daily StaffReporter With First Lady Michelle Obama set to arrive in Detroit Friday, it appears Michigan will be one of the few states that will also play host to her husband this midterm season. Despite registering a 43-per- cent approval rating in the lat- est Gallup poll, President Barack Obama is still scheduled to cam- paign for U.S. Rep. Gary Peters' (D-Mich.) U.S. Senate bid, and may also appear for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer. Given the differences between the two races, however, the implications of the President's See OBAMA, Page 3A Students provided with alternatives in anticipation of weekend activities By EMILIE PLESSET Daily StaffReporter In preparation for the foot- ball game against Penn State this Saturday night, seven student leaders sampled sand- wiches and non-alcoholic drinks from local restaurants on the Diag to find the tastiest "Stay in the Blue" meal as part of Wolverine Wellness's True Blue Sandwich and Drink Con- test. The Stay in the Blue initia- tive encourages students to act responsibly when participat- ing in social activities, includ- ing those involving alcohol. In order to "stay in the blue," a student must have a blood- alcohol content of .06 or less as a chart tracks their levels, with blue representing the safe zone and red indicating dangerous levels of alcohol consumption. Wolverine Wellness collabo- rated with popular restaurants including Conor O'Neill's, Pizza House, Sava's, Score- keepers Bar and Grill and the University's Beanster's Cafe to host the contest. The restau- rants were asked to submit an affordable sandwich as well as a non-alcoholic or caffeinated drink to advertise as a Stay in the Blue special at their estab- lishments on football Satur- See WELLNESS, Page 3A WEATHER HI: 56 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail Student Voices: Professor Father? TOMORROW LO: 3 news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS INDEX Vol. CXXIII, No.55 02011 The Michigan Daily michigonduilycuw NEWS .......................2A SUDOKU..................2A OPINION.....................4A CLASSIFIEDS...............5A S P O R T S ......................6 A B - S ID E ................ .... 1B # & 4 4